The Association of European Journalist (AEJ Belgium) organizes, in collaboration with Holland House, its spring cocktail at the Club Royal des Guides, Rue d’Arlon 32, Brussels with MEP Jakob von Weizsäcker, as our special guest. Please check our last Autumn-Networking-Cocktail review here (in French).

The topic of the discussion will be focused this time on the importance of the development of blockchain technology for Europe, the role to be played by the Blockchain observatory and the impact it could have for such important sectors as the financial services, financial markets and on the job of reporting.

Take a look at the latest press release on Blockchain Technology: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20180516IPR03622/use-blockchain-model-to-cut-small-firms-costs-and-empower-citizens-urge-meps 

Jakob von Weizsäcker (1970°)  German MEP for the S&D, educated in Germany, the UK and France, graduating with degrees in physics and economics, hold a number of research positions at prestigious international universities and research institutes such as the CIRED in Paris, the Centre for Economic Studies in Munich and the MIT in Cambridge, USA.

Before being elected as MEP in 2014 he worked from 2002-2005 at the World Bank, was a resident fellow at the Bruegel Think Tank in Brussels and worked for 4 years at the Thuringian Ministry for Economic Affairs.

He was a driving force behind the creation by the European Commission (EC) of an EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum launched last February by Commissioner Marya Gabriel. This Observatory is intended to support the Commission’s work in Fin Tech and is part of the Fin Tech Action Plan presented in March by the EC. That must help the EU to become a global hub for FinTech, with EU businesses and investors able to make most of the advantages offered by the Single Market in this fast-moving sector that impact by its products on all of us as citizens using financial services. More info on http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-521_en.htm  and https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/180308-action-plan-fintech_en

Holland House is a new initiative of the Dutch EU professionals in Brussels so set up their own house for community building, networking and debate. The Club Royal des Guides hosts them temporarily but is the Mess of the Officers of the 1st Regiment of Guides (1874-1994), established on the Place Luxemburg in Brussels, its initial garrison town. The military members meet each other there and hold events remaining attached to the values ​​of the Cavalry, sharing its values ​​and traditions.